How to crate train a puppy

What are the benefits of crate training my puppy?

We all know that feeling when things are getting too much and you just need some headspace. Dogs may be naturally social animals, but sometimes they need their own space too. Crate training gives your puppy their own safe place to go when they feel nervous, tired or stressed, and helps to give them a sense of security.

Establishing this association between the crate and security, is also useful for you as an owner. It means your dog is likely to be calmer in new situations and environments, because they have the reassurance of the crate to retreat to if they start feeling anxious. It can make travelling with your pet a lot easier too.

Crate training can also help keep you on track with other training. Training only really works if you’re there to guide your puppy in the right direction, rewarding them for good behaviour and steering them away from bad habits. All your hard work can easily be derailed if a puppy has free rein to chew and pee on the furniture when you’re not around, with no one to tell them not to.

Crate training works hand in hand with toilet training because even from an early age, puppies don’t like going to the toilet where they sleep. Once your puppy learns to associate the cage with rest and sleeping, it can also help establish good sleeping patterns.

Puppies can be hard work, and they need a lot of time and attention. Once you’ve mastered crate training, your puppy gets its own space in the house and you get a secure place to put your puppy when you need to go out for a short while – or when you just have to get something done and need a little break from supervision duties.

When should I start crate training my puppy?

You can start crate training as soon as you bring your new puppy home. Habits are easier to form earlier on and you’ll want your pup to get used to the crate being a normal part of life as soon as possible. Wait too long and it’s more likely to cause it stress.

Some puppies will have already started crate training at their breeder’s home or shelter, so continuing the process can help smooth the transition into their new home.

How do I crate train my dog? 

Slow and steady is the key to successful crate training. It’s all about using repetition and slowly increasing its exposure to the crate, to build a positive and happy relationship between puppy and crate. By following and repeating these steps, you’ll have your puppy fully settled into your household in no time:

• Decide where you want your crate. Dogs are social animals so ideally it should be somewhere where you spend a lot of time, like the kitchen or living room. The crate should be out of direct sunlight and away from radiators or fires, so your pup isn’t at risk of heatstroke, and in a decluttered area that won’t be too distracting.
• Prepare the crate while your puppy is out of the room. Pop it in your chosen spot, with the door secured open and put your puppy’s bedding inside to make it snuggly and inviting.
• When the crate’s ready, let your puppy into the room and let them investigate the crate on their own terms. You can sit beside it to draw them over, but don’t force them to go inside.
• If they show any interest in the crate, or go inside it, reward your puppy with treats and praise.
• If they do go inside, don’t close the door – you could upset them, and you don’t want your puppy to form negative associations with the crate.
• After the initial introduction, you can put toys or treats inside the crate to encourage your puppy to spend time there. Don’t force it. Crate training won’t work if they end up seeing the crate as a punishment.
• Once your puppy is happily going in and out of the crate, you can start on the next step of feeding your puppy inside the crate. If they still seem a little nervous, begin by feeding them beside their crate so they start associating it with good experiences. Gradually move their food bowl inside the crate, edging it further in each mealtime. Use a command cue word or phrase when you place your puppy’s food inside the crate, like ‘in your bed’ or ‘crate’, so they start to associate that command with going to the crate. Remember to give them a treat and praise when they do go into the crate.
• Once your puppy’s comfortable with eating inside the crate, shut the door while they’re eating. Open it again as soon as they’ve finished their food. Repeat this step for several mealtimes until your puppy seems completely relaxed with the door being shut. If your puppy shows signs of distress, open the door.
• Start leaving the door closed for a few minutes longer after mealtimes, gradually increasing the amount of time they’re spending inside the crate. But if they show any signs of distress, reopen the door. Ideally, your pup will start to lie down and settle in the crate after they’ve finished eating.
• Once your pup has mastered settling in the crate with the door closed, try stepping away from them, building up to leaving the room and staying away for longer.
• When your puppy is happy to settle in the closed crate after feeding, you can start using crate time outside of mealtimes, using the command cue and rewarding them with praise and treats.

Can my puppy sleep in the crate?

Once your puppy is relaxed in the crate, you can use it as their overnight bed. But only put your pup to sleep in the crate when they’re very tired. Otherwise, it may seem like a punishment.

Make sure the crate is nice and comfy and consider placing it near to your own bed. This way they’ll be comforted by hearing you close by and you’ll hear if they wake in the night and start whining to go out to the toilet. After you’ve taken them out to do their business, put them back in the crate to encourage continued sleep.

If you want your dog to use the crate to sleep, you need to be consistent. Dogs like routine and it could be confusing and anxiety-inducing for them if they sometimes sleep in the crate and sometimes don’t.